Ma Joad in the Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck In the 1930s, the American Great Plains were hit by a disastrous drought that forced thousands of people to migrate west. Because their land was devastated by the Dust Bowl, disadvantaged farmers were left with no choice but to leave. The Grapes of Wrath tells the journey of the Joads, a family from Oklahoma who decides to move to California in search of better conditions. Initially gathering thirteen people, the Joads will undertake what represents both a challenge and their only hope. Among them there are only four women who embody all ages: the grandmother, the mother and her two daughters, the pregnant Rose of Sharon and the young Ruthie. Appearing in chapter eight, the mother, called “Ma,” plays a crucial role in Steinbeck's novel. She is, together with her son Tom (the main character of the book), present from the early stages of the story until the end. We will try to retrace his emotional journey (I), as well as analyze its universal aspects and provide an overall impression of the book (II). Steinbeck describes Ma as a strong, physically “heavy woman, busy with pregnancies and work” (Ch. 8). From the moment the author introduces her to the reader, she displays two qualities that remain throughout the book: generosity and self-control. His first word aims to welcome strangers to the family table (“Let them come”).